20101226
reuters

ABIDJAN (Reuters) - At a church in Ivory Coast's main city Abidjan on Saturday, teacher George Kouadio prayed that the political crisis in his country would not reach the point of a new civil war.

"Ivory Coast has suffered too much in the past 10 years," he said. "I asked the Lord to help us find peace, but especially give wisdom to our leaders.

Christmas is normally a boisterous affair in the West African country marked by fireworks, parties and well-decorated main streets. But the parties have been replaced by prayers and the decorations by armed patrols, while fireworks are banned.

A November 28 election meant to resolve Ivory Coast's decade-long political crisis has resulted in two rivals claiming the presidency, with incumbent Laurent Gbagbo defying international pressure to hand over to Alassane Ouattara.

Violence since the standoff has killed nearly 200 people and has threatened to rekindle a 2002-03 civil war. Leaders from West African regional bloc ECOWAS on Friday said they could use force against Gbagbo if he refuses to step down.

Carolle Ake, a student, said there was little to celebrate.

"The heart is not there, the mind is elsewhere, there is no desire to party as if nothing is happening," she said. "Personally, I stayed at home to pray. This morning I went to church to pray and I think God will not abandon us."

Retail outlets in the former economic powerhouse of French West Africa had been hoping last month's elections would end a political impasse since the civil war -- in which rebels tried to overthrow Gbagbo -- spurring bumper sales.